The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a process cartridge.
Here, the process cartridge is a cartridge containing charging means, developing means, cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member as a unit, the cartridge being detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The process cartridge may be a cartridge containing an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means as a unit, the cartridge being detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The process cartridge may be a cartridge containing an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least developing means as a unit, the cartridge being detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (an LED printer, a laser beam printer) and so on.
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge is used which integrally contains an electrographic photosensitive member and process means actable on the electrographic photosensitive member, the process cartridge being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
With this process-cartridge type, the maintenance of the apparatus can be carried out in effect without service people.
Therefore, this process-cartridge type is widely used in the field of the electrographic image forming apparatus.
The process cartridge functions to form images on recording materials using a developer. The developer is consumed with the image forming operations. Therefore, at the time when the developer is consumed to such an extent that the quality of the images becomes unsatisfactory to the user, the commercial value of the process cartridge is lost.
An easy remanufacturing method for providing such a process cartridge with a commercial value, again has been desired.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an easy remanufacturing method of a process cartridge.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an easy remanufacturing method and a process cartridge wherein the developer is prevented from leaking out of the process cartridge when the process cartridge is transported.
It is, a further object of the present invention to provide an easy remanufacturing method wherein a process cartridge having lost its commercial value is given a commercial value and a process cartridge having a regained commercial value.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the process cartridge includes a first unit supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a second unit, which includes a developing frame supporting a developing roller, a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used for development by the developing roller and a developer frame provided with a developer supply opening for supplying to the developing roller the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, the first unit and second unit being rotatably coupled with each other, the method comprising:
(a) a unit separating step of separating the first unit and the second unit from each other;
(b) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller mounted to the second unit which has been separated by the separation step;
(c) a sealing step of sealing with a sealant a connecting portion between the developer frame and the developing frame at one longitudinal end of the frames;
(d) a developer refilling step of refilling the developer into the developer accommodating portion of the second unit which has been separated by the separation step;
(e) a developing roller remounting step of remounting the developing roller to the second unit which has been separated by the separation step; and
(f) a unit re-coupling step of re-coupling the first unit and the second unit with each other, by which the process cartridge is remanufactured without remounting the toner seal to the developer supply opening having been unsealed by removing a toner seal upon the start of use of the process cartridge.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.